Been working hard on this. I have to many cards to go through and the majority of them are Chimney Imp status cards. But I like the current build for it, I had no idea I had ZERO non-basic lands in here until I took it apart to fix it. No WONDER it was such a pain to cast stuff with this deck. Anyway, here is my deck. Please comment on it and give me some good feedback. I will constantly be updating the deck as I get more cards. You might need to look up some of these cards ... Sorry about using such random ass cards.

First thing I'd do is pull those Coldsnap 2 color lands and replace them with the Refuge cycle from Zendikar. And try to pick up a set of the Alara block Panoramas. I'd also ditch Temple of the False God and probably Stalking Stones. Lands that tap only for colorless need to have some other ability that makes them worth having, like Urza’s Factory, Academy Ruins, or Volrath’s Stronghold. I’d also consider cutting Novijen, as I don’t think it’ll do enough. Rhystic Cave is iffy, since generally if someone has the spare mana, you’re not getting anything out of it.

I’d also say you could use more creatures, the number of them just looks low to me. I’d definitely suggest the cycle of Alara Reborn 2-color landcycling dudes. Coalition Relic, or atleast Darksteel Ingot should definitely go in, if you have them lying around. Depending on things, the Borderpost cycle is also something to consider.I kinda question the inclusion of Shock, Sudden Shock, Electrostatic Bolt, Tarfire, Seal of Fire, Dead/Gone and Staggershock. I don’t mean they’re bad or anything, it’s just seems like it’s a few too many 2-damage effects. You may want to consider removing a few, or atleast replacing a few with things that’ll do more damage, like Incinerate.

Other than that, I’d say it’s just a matter of trying things, seeing what works and what doesn’t for you. That and finding what holes you need to fill (like the almost total lack of Wrath effects).

Uniclonus wrote:First thing I'd do is pull those Coldsnap 2 color lands and replace them with the Refuge cycle from Zendikar. And try to pick up a set of the Alara block Panoramas. I'd also ditch Temple of the False God and probably Stalking Stones. Lands that tap only for colorless need to have some other ability that makes them worth having, like Urza’s Factory, Academy Ruins, or Volrath’s Stronghold. I’d also consider cutting Novijen, as I don’t think it’ll do enough. Rhystic Cave is iffy, since generally if someone has the spare mana, you’re not getting anything out of it.

I’d also say you could use more creatures, the number of them just looks low to me. I’d definitely suggest the cycle of Alara Reborn 2-color landcycling dudes. Coalition Relic, or atleast Darksteel Ingot should definitely go in, if you have them lying around. Depending on things, the Borderpost cycle is also something to consider.I kinda question the inclusion of Shock, Sudden Shock, Electrostatic Bolt, Tarfire, Seal of Fire, Dead/Gone and Staggershock. I don’t mean they’re bad or anything, it’s just seems like it’s a few too many 2-damage effects. You may want to consider removing a few, or atleast replacing a few with things that’ll do more damage, like Incinerate.

Other than that, I’d say it’s just a matter of trying things, seeing what works and what doesn’t for you. That and finding what holes you need to fill (like the almost total lack of Wrath effects).

Thanks Brandon.

Yeah I do need to pick up the Refuge and Panoramas. I am also thinking of grabbing the Urza Power-Plant/Mine/Tower, unless they aren't that amazing in Big Deck. I can see losing the Temple and the Stalking Stones, but in play tests the Novijen is just to good. I was able to get that and Urza's Factory out and was pumping out 3/3 tokens. Of course I was paying 7UG for it, but I was doing it when I had no spells to play.

I didn't even realize I had so many Red 2 damage spells. When I made this deck I wanted the cards to match their colors. So Blue drew, Black killed, Red blasted, White protected, and Green pumped. I'll just need to take out all the redundant stuff and replace it with stuff that will actually help. I do have an Ingot, no idea why I didn't include it in the deck build. I'll also check around for the land cycling guys, I know I have the Forest/Plains spider one and the Island/Swamp zombie.

I did have a Wrath and Damnation, but I think John the Walker has them along with all my other rares. Final Judgment is as close as I could get. I'll have to go look around for Wrath stuff. (I'll go the goofy route and grab Desolation Giant, Guan Yu's 1,000-Li March, and Jokulhaups) I am also looking for Planar Collapse and Impending Disaster since they are cheaper versions of Armageddon and Wrath, but they just take a turn and a certain condition to trigger.

I don't really think the Power Plant, Mine, and Tower set is all that usefull in big deck. Without a lot things to search them out, extremely unlikely you're going to get the three of them out at the same time. As for Novijen, if it's working for you, keep it in there. There's no express need to remove it.

You don't need to take out all the redundant stuff, just slim it down some. You're going to want multiple cards that do a particular thing, like remove creatures, draw cards, or find land, for example. It's just finding the right balance, not going too overboard on one particular thing. That's why all the 2-damage burn jumped out at me.

Uniclonus wrote:You don't need to take out all the redundant stuff, just slim it down some. You're going to want multiple cards that do a particular thing, like remove creatures, draw cards, or find land, for example. It's just finding the right balance, not going too overboard on one particular thing. That's why all the 2-damage burn jumped out at me.

I used to have like 15 versions of Terror in Black alone, so I cut back a lot on that.

Going to drop the 16th Forest so I have 15 of each Basic land for the Ingot. I went through a bunch of my stuff and found some more cards to add, so I am updating the list right now.

Also, while looking through all my stuff I found a playset of Tops. Anyone need them?

I know I've got a spare batch of the Refuges lying around. I don't have spares of the Alara Tri-lands or Panoramas though. I should have the landcyclers, but I need dig through some stuff to be sure. I'll toss them at you next time I see you.

I played with the deck today and I liked it. I think it was good, the mana was decent enough; adding the tri/pan/refuge lands would help a little bit, I think I need to focus on the spell line up and figure out what kind of theme or style I am going for before I really worry about it.

@ Dan - I'll bring the tops next time, I was at AU tonight for a bit playing Star Wars Minis.

If you want Tops for them that would be sweet. I found two more Tops today, so I have 6 of them if anyone else is interested.

~Zuty

EDIT: Also, took out more stuff and replaced it around. I decided to be less of a dick and took out almost all my land removal. I only really need like 2 or 3 land removal and they need to do more then just get rid of the land to be useful (Sorry Stone Rain, but Molten Rain and Rancid Earth are just so much better)

I also swapped out my Chrome Mox for one of those World Champion versions of the card. Just cause I'd rather trade the real version knowing I have a playable version for Big Deck. I also picked up three Glimmervoids, IDK how good they are in Big Deck, but since I have few artifacts I am saving them for another Big Deck.

EDIT: Just found out I had 249 cards in the deck, IDK why all of a sudden I have 249 when I make sure before and after that I always have 250. Anyway, I added in a card I think that will be really REALLY good in this format:Hide /// Seek

Sunken FieldsIdeas UnboundDisperseMogg War MarshalGoblin CohortLash OutStreet SavvyKodama's ReachSnakeformPillory of the SleeplessPutrefySamurai of the Pale CurtainRest for the WearyInquisitor's SnareJourney of DiscoveryVigor MortisSudden DeathGhostly Prison

Been changing this thing around a bunch ... Not even worth it to keep up with the list anymore; as soon as I add something I take it out for something else ...

Anyway ... I sleeved my deck. All 250 cards. 39 of the sleeves are red while the other 211 are black, so I need to just pick up a pack of 50 black sleeves and swap them out.

I have an idea for a new Big Deck so I am going to start planning that, but this will be like my main big deck that I will slowly build up, maybe get all the dual lands, a black lotus, you know that kind of stuff ...

It's only a buck, but I know I have at least one and I am dropping 5 of each basic when I start grabbing more lands. And this little mofo turns all lands (not just basic or nonbasic) into Savannahs. And all you gotta do it wait till your end step and discard it when you got 8.

SRSLY?! Why aren't people creaming their pants for this?

Turn 1: Island, Careful Study, discard this.Turn 2: Before you even drop a land you have W, U, and G available.

I wouldn't say it's all that good for Big Deck.The main problem with it is having a reliable way to get it into the graveyard. I mean, if you're going to hold onto cards to get 8 in the hand to discard it during the end step, then you're not playing anything. And if you happen to draw it several turns into the game when you have like 3 cards in hand, good luck getting rid of it.As for the Careful Study idea, the odds of having 2 specific cards, plus an appropriate land in your hand to do it in your starting hand with a 250 card deck are too low to really bother with. Or so I'd say.If you want to put it in and try it, go for it. That's part of what Big Deck is, trying random cards to see how they work for you.

As for why other versions haven't been made, Riftstone Portal is from Judgement, a set that was weighted towards white and green to balance out Torment (the previous set) being weighted towards black. Since the whole block was about discard and graveyard matters stuff, they decided to give Green/White a land that mattered when it was in the yard. In theory, they could finish out the cycle if they decided to do another graveyard-centric block.

Uniclonus wrote:I wouldn't say it's all that good for Big Deck.The main problem with it is having a reliable way to get it into the graveyard. I mean, if you're going to hold onto cards to get 8 in the hand to discard it during the end step, then you're not playing anything. And if you happen to draw it several turns into the game when you have like 3 cards in hand, good luck getting rid of it.As for the Careful Study idea, the odds of having 2 specific cards, plus an appropriate land in your hand to do it in your starting hand with a 250 card deck are too low to really bother with. Or so I'd say.If you want to put it in and try it, go for it. That's part of what Big Deck is, trying random cards to see how they work for you.

As for why other versions haven't been made, Riftstone Portal is from Judgement, a set that was weighted towards white and green to balance out Torment (the previous set) being weighted towards black. Since the whole block was about discard and graveyard matters stuff, they decided to give Green/White a land that mattered when it was in the yard. In theory, they could finish out the cycle if they decided to do another graveyard-centric block.

Ah, I see. Makes sense with the whole G/W trying to regain balance.

Well the Careful Study is just one example, you can discard cards from other effects. Looter, Compulsion, Enclave Cryptologist, Ideas Unbound, and Obelisk of Alara are a few examples of cards in my deck that let me discard. The problem then is keeping it in the discard. Probably worth the money to grab a Ground Seal then.

I wanted to make a post about a new rare from ROE that everyone seems to ignore. I think he is a great card, but I think other people look over him when they see 'Discard your hand'

His name is Thought Gorger.

Why is he so good?

Well he's a 2/2 with Trample for 2BB and he gets a +1/+1 counter for each card in your hand that you discard when you cast him. So he can get boosted up to be pretty big if you play him with a full hand.

What makes him so good?

His second ability. "When Thought Gorger leaves the battlefield, draw a card for each +1/+1 counter on it."

So he pops and you draw how many counters where on him. Cool. Well it gets better when you team him up with some bouncing, why's that? Because his second ability doesn't go off of dying, it goes off of leaving the field.

Drop a Kor Skyfisher, draw a bunch of cards.Oust him away, draw a bunch of cards and gain life.Regress him before he is killed or while he chump blocks, draw a bunch of cards.

And if you use him right something like this will happen.

Thought Gorger has 6 counters on him, making him an 8/8 with Trample. You have 5 cards in your hand. You block a big creature that would otherwise kill Thought Gorger and bounce him back before damage with Oust/Regress. Draw 6 cards.Your turn, so you draw. You now have 6 cards from before, 4 from after bouncing, Thought Gorger, and you just drew a card. So your hand is now at 12. Drop the Gorger and for 4 mana he is now a 14/14 with Trample.

I really can say, with no doubt in my mind, that a Thought Gorger deck would be very good. Maybe not Pro Tour winning, but good in a casual way at least. Toss in one or two of the LegenDrazi and when you do toss away him to the Gorger, your GY goes back in your deck. Of course, you'll have to fear GY removal.